In “the world’s most fashionable grandma” Iris Apfel, you can feel that fashion has never been about age. This grandma, who just celebrated her 99th birthday and is hailed as the “oldest fashion icon in history,” always appears in colorful and vivid outfits, paired with oversized black round glasses, mixing and matching all kinds of accessories, showcasing a gorgeous and unique fashion style that attracts the public’s attention.
Iris Apfel’s influence in the fashion world is so great that people who like her have specially created the term “Irisisms” for her; she even has her own documentary “Iris”; even the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has held exhibitions based on her collection. Only Iris Apfel herself can define her own fashion style and taste, and the words of others cannot affect her. The following 10 fashion quotes from Iris Apfel embody her consistent self-attitude towards “fashion” and “dressing”, and can be beneficial for everyone’s lifetime.
「Coco Chanel 總說要把身上多餘的東西拿掉，但我總說再多加一件比較好。」
Iris Apfel doesn’t like monotonous clothing items, nor does she like to “play it safe,” so you will never see minimalist style on her. She is good at mixing and matching various items to create a glamorous and stylish personal taste, which highlights her unique and extraordinary taste and dressing skills in a fashion world filled with “minimalism.”
「如果我告訴你應該穿甚麼的話，那是我的風格，不是你的。」
Iris Apfel may be a fashion icon for many, but she never teaches anyone how to dress because she believes everyone should have their own taste and style, rather than copying someone else’s look.
「你可以買到時尚，但你必須擁有和掌握自己的風格。」
Owning high-priced fashion items does not mean you have “fashion style”. This is the most important advice that fashionistas should keep in mind! Iris Apfel does not blindly follow trends, but instead focuses on using different pieces to create a personal style that is more iconic.
「風格就是態度、態度、態度！」
“Important things must be said three times,” Iris Apfel believes that “style” doesn’t necessarily have to be manifested in the overall look, but can instead be reflected in your attitude. It’s not about what you wear, but about how you interpret your outfit with the right mindset and attitude.
「我打扮是為了自己，並非為了給別人看。」
Many people care too much about others’ opinions, thinking that they should dress up to be admired by others, but Iris Apfel reminds everyone that the purpose of dressing up should be to make oneself happy, not to please others, and it should not become a stressful thing.
「當你穿得跟別人不一樣，你的思維也會和別人不一樣。」
Wearing can reflect a person’s attitude, as well as embody personality and thinking patterns. When your clothing style is different from others, it also means that your thoughts are different from others. It can spark more diverse imaginations and ideas, naturally giving rise to creativity!
「如果你把東西混搭在一起後，看起來不是那麼好，時尚警察也不會把你抓走。」
We often confine ourselves to certain frameworks of dressing, afraid that stepping out of these established frameworks will lead to a “fashion disaster.” However, Iris Apfel, who has always been unconventional in these frameworks, encourages everyone not to be afraid of the final result being unsatisfactory, but to be brave in trying out different possibilities of matching.
「如果你問我會把一大筆錢花在配飾上還是服裝上，我永遠會回答是配飾。我認為首飾配件才是可以令造型變化的重點。」
Feeling bored or tired of the same old clothing combinations? Why not learn from Iris Apfel’s dressing philosophy, by mixing and matching different styles of accessories to make the same outfit feel fresher, adding highlights to the overall look. In her case, less is more has never been true.
「時尚界似乎對青春太著迷，但 70 歲無法擁有 18 歲的體態； 18 歲也無法擁有 70 歲的財力。」
Every age has its advantages, and youth is not the only stage that can be associated with “fashion.” The fashion industry should not narrowly equate “fashion” with “youth.” She, who can say this famous saying, is a living example. Even at nearly one hundred years old, she can still become a respected fashion icon.
「如果你本身不漂亮也沒關係，但是你要學會讓你自己變得更有魅力。」
Appearance is innate, but charm can be cultivated. Iris Apfel reminds us not to feel sorry for ourselves because we are not naturally beautiful. What you should do is to enhance your attractiveness through methods, such as finding your own style of dressing and enhancing personal charm!
